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They Might Be Mayor: Hartford Candidates Tackle Top Issues

By Courant

September 02, 2007

Frank Barrows: Crime Calls Out For More Police

The problems facing Hartford in the summer of 2007 are primarily quality of life issues. Crime is by far the No.1 problem, with noise, trash and speed following - in no particular order - a distance behind. I have some proposals to present that would cover all these situations.

Art Feltman: Education Key To Better City

Hartford's population consists, for the most part, of the rich, the poor, and the struggling. Financially secure families - black, white, Latino - those who keep our suburban towns afloat with taxes, shoppers and volunteers, are largely AWOL from the city.

I. Charles Mathews: Answer Education Challenge

Hartford is facing myriad issues as it seeks to live up to its "Rising Star" moniker - poverty, crime and business development among them. There exists among these issues a common denominator, however: education. As the debate over Sheff v. ONeill and No Child Left Behind continues, Hartford struggles with low test scores, dismal dropout rates and too many students graduating without basic skills.

J. Stan McCauley: Ruling Party Hasn't Fixed Problems

Hartford's issues have been the subject of more meetings, debates and forums than I care to recall. And after decades of such conversations, the conclusion of the matter is this: The single biggest issue facing Hartford is 38 years of one-party rule.

Eddie A. Perez: Schools Overhaul Essential

My highest priority for the next four years is to build on the progress we have made in remaking our public schools and finally deliver on the promise of a quality education for every child.

Frank Barrows: Crime Calls Out For More Police

By FRANK BARROWS

September 2, 2007

The problems facing Hartford in the summer of 2007 are primarily quality of life issues. Crime is by far the No.1 problem, with noise, trash and speed following - in no particular order - a distance behind. I have some proposals to present that would cover all these situations.

First, Hartford needs 500 police officers. Second, I would encourage regional police cooperation with surrounding towns, in the same way that we cooperate with neighboring towns' fire departments.

Residents and commuters have experienced, or known of, drive-by shootings, muggings and the presence of gangs. Most of our residents live with fear of guns and drugs - some of which are brought in by residents of neighboring towns. If we had regional police cooperation we could discourage these behaviors. If cops all over the area were to stop cars consistently for all infractions, there'd be more awareness of the enforcement of laws in general. There are to be no drugs or weapons to be sold; driving laws are to be obeyed; noise ordinances are to be observed.

There seems to be a perception that Hartford is a good place to work but not to live, not primarily because of crime but because of less vital but still important quality of life issues.

Tom Condon wrote about noise last Sunday. Our policemen don't seem to have the will to enforce nuisance ordinances. After 10 p.m., turn down the volume!! I'd like to see state and federal funds used to erect speed bumps. The city says that they're a problem in winter, but newly designed speed bumps that we could install do not hinder snow plows but are a deterrent to speeding.

There are eight to 10 main entrances to Hartford, all of which should be tidy and well-kept. This is the capital city of Connecticut, and as a city with prominence and history it should have a welcoming appearance. I've lived in Hartford all my life and would endeavor to make it a city to again be proud of.

Frank Barrows is a former state senator and petitioning candidate in the Sept. 11 Democratic mayoral primary.

Art Feltman: Education Key To Better City

By ART FELTMAN

September 2, 2007

Hartford's population consists, for the most part, of the rich, the poor, and the struggling. Financially secure families - black, white, Latino - those who keep our suburban towns afloat with taxes, shoppers and volunteers, are largely AWOL from the city.

Too often, Hartford residents take their first promotion as a ticket to ride out of town. Why? In Europe, the opposite is true: Middle-income families compete to live within walking, trolley or canal boat distance of a city's attractions and amenities.

A driver of middle-class flight, I believe, is the fear these parents feel that their children may suffer from an urban education. They know that city kindergarteners enter school with only half the vocabulary words of their suburban peers. They know that by third grade, only one-sixth of our kids know how to read. They know that less than a third of high school freshmen graduate.

They worry that their child will become another shameful statistic.

What can we do? Millions of state and local dollars have been invested, with little progress to show. We can't take our eye off school reform.

If I am your mayor, we will reorganize the balance of the school week when a child is not in school. Every means will be used to help parents help their children perform better in school.

Forty percent of Hartford adults are functionally illiterate. I will offer parents tangible incentives to overcome these deficits. We will model methods to help them stimulate, speak with and read to their young children.

Preschool must be more than a euphemism for day care. A preschool must have a curriculum, certified teachers and a low staffing ratio. The state requires a certified teacher to lead every preschool class, with commensurate pay. I will expect the same of any preschool supported by city government.

Education is lifelong: from womb to tomb. A school, new or old, lacks stability if built on a rickety foundation.

Art Feltman is a Hartford state representative and a petitioning candidate in the Sept.11 Democratic mayoral primary.

I. Charles Mathews: Answer Education Challenge

By I. CHARLES MATHEWS

September 2, 2007

Hartford is facing myriad issues as it seeks to live up to its "Rising Star" moniker - poverty, crime and business development among them. There exists among these issues a common denominator, however: education. As the debate over Sheff v. ONeill and No Child Left Behind continues, Hartford struggles with low test scores, dismal dropout rates and too many students graduating without basic skills.

I believe that despite these daunting truths, Hartford is full of promise. Our new superintendent has drawn back the curtain and shared our challenges with candor, allowing us to see both the urgency of reform and a potential path for improvement. His vision for an all-choice system of schools will allow families to select an educational course that meets their expectations, while not limiting quality to magnet schools.

The call to action has been issued, and it's now up to us to answer. Our response should be a demand for district spending and design that focuses on children. Far too much of our resources is spent on administrative line items, at the expense of curriculum and instruction. The superintendent's plan to provide per-student funding based on a variety of needs is a step in the right direction.

Moreover, we cannot be remiss in the role our parents and business neighbors play in strengthening our school system. Our parents should have a seat at the table when planning for the district's future, because any effort must have community buy-in to progress. Community includes our corporate neighbors, who are as vested in our children's futures as we are. And for good reason: When the Connecticut Business and Industry Association reached out to Gov. M. Jodi Rell, the message was clear: Tell us how we can help improve the education system, because a skilled workforce is a factor in our growth.

As a former high school dropout who ultimately graduated from Cornell Law School, I know well the importance of education - not only for the individual, but for the community he or she calls home.

I. Charles Mathews is a former deputy mayor and a petitioning candidate in the Sept.11 Democratic mayoral primary.

J. Stan McCauley: Ruling Party Hasn't Fixed Problems

By J. STAN McCAULEY

September 2, 2007

Hartford's issues have been the subject of more meetings, debates and forums than I care to recall. And after decades of such conversations, the conclusion of the matter is this: The single biggest issue facing Hartford is 38 years of one-party rule.

You need not look far to see the evidence of this statement. How is it that we know, summer after summer, that gun violence will increase? Why do we continue to have forums and meetings discussing education, crime and jobs only to leave with no real measurable outcomes or achievements?

With one party ruling for such a long time, you get a government entrenched with patronage and cronyism that exists only to maintain itself and not the people it is supposed to serve.

Do I speak as a Republican who just wants to get elected? If that is what you think, then I implore you to critically look at Hartford for yourself. Ironically, the solution for Hartford is currently being implemented by Superintendent Steven J. Adamowski in the Hartford school system. City hall also needs to be redesigned with dynamic leadership that is willing to step outside of the box, take risks, say what needs to be said and make significant changes.

Hartford is full of people who know what's wrong, but for whatever reason they haven't been able to do anything about it, or they simply won't.

The job being done to manage crime, poverty and unemployment is mediocre at best. Hartford needs true leadership that inspires real change and produces solutions, not superficial window dressings or the illusion of change.

It will take courage for Hartford Democrats to come out on Nov. 6 and vote for J. Stan McCauley.

Be encouraged, Hartford! I am going to show you a life free from the bondage of a one-party system.

J. Stan McCauley is the endorsed Republican candidate for mayor of Hartford.

Eddie A. Perez: Schools Overhaul Essential

By EDDIE PEREZ

September 2, 2007

My highest priority for the next four years is to build on the progress we have made in remaking our public schools and finally deliver on the promise of a quality education for every child.

As a graduate of Hartford Public High School and the father of a Bulkeley High School grad, I know all too well the expectations and frustrations parents have with our education system.

When I became mayor, I realized that to create the kind of school system we all wanted, we could not keep tinkering around the edges - we had to change the whole culture of our schools.

We started by changing the way we do business, focusing on working together to solve problems instead of pointing fingers. Then we moved to change the learning environment, implementing an ambitious plan to modernize our school buildings and a school uniform program for better discipline.

And then we set about changing our school leadership and direction, joining together to recruit a nationally recognized reformer to be our superintendent.

Now, under Superintendent Steven J. Adamowski's leadership, we are moving forward with a bold new plan to transform the Hartford public schools into a system of high-performing schools of choice that are tailored to bring out the best in our kids and prepare them for the jobs of the 21st century.

To make this plan successful, and dramatically increase the number of Hartford students going to college, it's going to take a lot of hard work by all of us - elected officials, principals, teachers, parents and students alike. The pace of change won't be as fast as we'd like, and there will be plenty of bumps in the road along the way.

But I am convinced we are on the right track, in large part because I have never seen our city so unified behind a reform plan like this. And I know that if we stay together and focused, we can turn our schools into a model of excellence and make Hartford a city of opportunity.

Eddie Perez is the mayor of Hartford and the endorsed candidate in the Sept.11 Democratic mayoral primary.